


This Ring Is For The Lover In You

by BlackSansaStark



Category: Degrassi, Degrassi the Next Generation, Degrassi: Next Class
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Weddings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:08:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26031664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackSansaStark/pseuds/BlackSansaStark
Summary: A series of one-shots of my favorite Degrassi couples getting married.
Relationships: Eli Goldsworthy/Clare Edwards, Liberty Van Zandt/J. T. Yorke, Miles Hollingsworth III/Lola Pacini
Comments: 6
Kudos: 25





	1. Mola

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song title is This Ring Is For The Lover In You by Shalamar.

Lola looked at herself in Frankie’s mirror.

From a rational standpoint, she was sure she looked beautiful, which was supposed to be the case on her wedding day. In fact, she looked like a princess in her wedding gown. It was strapless with a sweetheart neckline and a floral print made of lace. The skirt of the gown was poofy, made up of ruffles, and had a sheer covering that was also printed with flowers.

On the top of her cranberry-dyed hair was a silver tiara made of flowers. For her makeup, she chose to wear pink eyeshadow, pink lip gloss, and pink blush, and silver eyeliner. Her hair was curled into ringlets that bounced around her head.

A part of her knew that she looked fine, and that she could walk down the aisle in a trash bag and Miles wouldn’t care as long as she was walking down the aisle to marry him. But she was nervous, and she was sweating badly under the summer heat. Her boobs were even sweating, which was a little gross.

“Lola, you looked scared. Why?” Frankie asked her as she stood behind her. Frankie squeezed her shoulders in an attempt to get her to relax probably. Her maid of honor was dressed in a teal colored gown. All of her bridesmaids were dressed in different colors because she thought a rainbow themed wedding would be cute even if Miles’ mother hated the idea.

“I don’t know! It’s just....I can’t believe this is happening,” Lola replied anxiously. A part of her was still surprised that she, Lola Pacini, a simple beautician, was marrying the rich and esteemed Miles Hollingsworth III. Hell, she was shocked that he picked her over Tristan all of those years ago. When they had sex on that fateful night, she thought that was it. It was going to be a quick affair and that Miles would go back to his boyfriend who he truly loved. She told him she didn’t mind at the time but she was hurting inside. She had never felt a real connection with a guy as much as Miles who saw her as more than Frankie’s ditzy, goofball friend.

But then she got pregnant with Hope.

She was considering getting an abortion at first but she changed her mind because for some reason she felt that she could be a good mother, even if Miles wasn’t in the picture. She wanted to be the mother that she didn’t have growing up. When she told Miles, she was scared of how he was going to react, but he was surprisingly supportive after the initial shock. Even if they both knew how his family would react, he didn’t care and told her that he wasn’t going to abandon his family. So he supported her during those full nine months and went to every meeting with her, and they continued talking. Her feelings for him never went away the whole time even if she told him they didn’t have to be together. She felt so foolish at the time.

She never expected him to break up with Tristan because his feelings for her never went away either. It happened a few months later when she started showing and everyone knew about the pregnancy by then. Miles broke up with Tristan and immediately made it clear that he wanted not just their child, but her.

And it was history.

“That my brother is marrying you? He’s absolutely bonkers about you, Lola,” Frankie pointed out, “He literally hasn’t shut up about marrying you these past couple months. Hunter and I had to tune him out after awhile.”

“I know that but I can’t believe he picked me out of all people,” she replied, and she hated how pathetic she sounded. This was her day, but she couldn’t help but feel insecure about it all.

“Who else was he going to marry, Tristan? The guy who was slut-shaming and saying his sexuality wasn’t valid the whole time they were together? I would pick you over him too,” Esme cut in as she sat on Frankie’s bed casually. She was dressed in a purple gown. Frankie and Esme‘s love story was still the craziest at Degrassi and it was hard to comprehend even though they’ve been dating for six years at this point.

“He was his first love,” Lola argued and Esme snorted.

“Miles never loved him, trust me. Tristan made him completely fucking miserable and Miles deluded himself into thinking they were in love because he was his first boyfriend.  _ You’re _ the first person Miles had ever loved, Lola.  _ You _ made him happy.  _ You _ made him feel valid. You made him feel like he had something to live for. You’re the mother of his kid,” Esme reasoned.

Hope was getting her hair curled by Shay on the other side of the room. Her other best friend was wearing a dark blue gown. She wanted to feel bad for Shay because Hope had trouble sitting still and wouldn’t stop squirming as a result. But the sight was amusing as Shay was struggling not to say something.

There was no one in the world she loved more than Hope, her baby girl, except Miles. From the moment she was born, Hope Hollingsworth was perfect. She had her face but Miles’ perfect eyes. Being a teen parent wasn’t easy, especially since she had Miles’ penchant for troublemaking, but it was worth it for their precious girl. She was their light.

“Why are you talking about people in Miles’ past when he’s marrying you in the present? This is supposed to be the best day of your life. Focus on that,” Shay added as she did the finishing touches on Hope.

“I guess,” she replied.

Shay placed a tiara on her daughter’s head and Lola smiled warmly at how Hope looked. In her bubblegum pink gown, she looked like her royal princess and heir.

“Do I look pretty, Mama?” Hope asked in a somewhat nervous tone.

“Of course, baby. You look even prettier than me!”

“Like a princess?”

“Like a princess.”

This was not just her and Miles’ special day, but Hope’s. Finally, her parents were going to be married. 

They were going to be a real family.

* * *

On the outside, Miles was cool and collected as he waited for Lola to come down the aisle. Inside, he was struggling not to panic. His anxiety was at an all time high. He was getting married, holy  _ shit  _ he was actually getting married.

“Smile. It’s your big day man,” Winston whispered to him. His best man was wearing an orange tuxedo with a matching bow. Hunter, who was wearing a green tuxedo, was sending him a look of annoyance, like he was crazy for being nervous right now. Hunter was holding Fernando, Lola’s dog, on a leash and the dog was dressed in a brown tuxedo jacket.

“I’m trying to, but I feel like I want to explode,” Miles whispered back while putting on a fake smile.

As sad as it was, by the time he was thirteen he figured he would spend his life either as a sad, lonely bachelor who was doomed to spend his life drinking, partying, and having unfulfilling sex with strangers or a sad, lonely, politician with a trophy wife he hated and kids who hated him. So basically he was scared he was going to end up his father or his weird uncle that no one liked.

Instead, at twenty-four he was getting married to the love of his life with their child as their flower girl. It didn’t feel real and he almost thought he was going to wake up and be in that dark period of his life where he had no one but himself. 

For a brief moment of time, he had Maya, who was sitting in the front row next to his mother with an encouraging smile on her face. She was good for him at the time but they ultimately weren’t meant to be together with the issues they had. But they remained good friends afterwards which was wonderful. When he was struggling with how to propose to Lola, Maya advised him to not focus so much on being perfect but how much it would mean to Lola. She was a great person to confide in.

Then there was Tristan.

For most of his high school years, he had convinced himself that he was in love with Tristan Milligan even though they were awful to each other. He thought being with Tristan was an act of freedom against his family. But was he actually free in that relationship? No, he realized in a lot of ways he was still a prisoner in that relationship. They didn’t make each happy, even during sex. He never got that fulfilling feeling one was supposed to have when they found the “one”. He felt empty. It didn’t help that he felt that Tristan secretly resented him for being bisexual or being in several sexual relationships before they got together. Tristan’s remarks about him being confused during the election still hurt him to this day. He put his hurt aside over that but no matter what, he could never be the perfect boyfriend in Tristan’s eyes. It was always  _ something _ .

He still felt obligated to stay with Tristan even when he was in a coma that he was in danger of never waking up from. It was having a terrible impact on his mental health but he couldn’t just let Tristan wake up alone even if it took him months to wake up. It’s why he felt horrible at first when he cheated on him with Lola, even if Lola was the first person to make him feel truly…... _ happy _ .

Hope didn’t realize how much she changed just by existing. If it wasn’t for Hope, their daughter, Miles wouldn’t have gotten the courage to choose Lola over Tristan. When Lola first told him that she was pregnant, he was terrified not just because of how it was going to affect his future but how Tristan was going to react. He was scared of losing Tristan. But going to those baby appointments with Lola, reading parenting books with her, choosing baby names, and just spending more time made Miles realize that he  _ needed  _ Lola.

Most kids at Degrassi saw Lola Pacini as this dumb, silly, vapid girl but to him she was the sweetest and brightest person he knew. He was a fucked up individual with daddy issues and a comatose boyfriend but she never judged him off of that. She thought the world of him when he didn’t deserve it. When they bonded, he felt a genuine spark. When they had sex, it didn’t feel like just sex, it felt like he was actually making love to someone even if the circumstances were wrong. She didn’t even care that he was bisexual. Being with her was the freedom he was craving for so long and he didn’t realize it until it was almost too late.

In the early stages of pregnancy, he was in denial of still being in love with her because he wasn’t ready to drop Tristan. But as Lola’s belly grew bigger and bigger, he had to decide for himself whether happiness or obligation was more important. And he chose happiness and didn’t look back.

It led to this moment right here. He was marrying the girl he loved and while he was terrified, he was also excited for the life they were about to have.

The music started as the wedding procession began. Hope skipped down the aisle while tossing multi-colored rose petals to the ground. She looked adorable in her pink dress and little tiara. He and Lola fought with his mother and sister a lot over the wedding planning but everyone agreed that Hope had to look like a little princess.

Then came the bridesmaids. First there was Zoe, who was wearing a scarlet, glamorous red dress. She gave him a reassuring smile as she came down. Zoe was his other best friend, and understood him in a way Winston and Lola still didn’t. They were both children of rich parents that hated them, had horrible baggage and somehow still managed to find happiness.

Esme was next in a violet dress, and he gave her a friendly nod. Their time together was toxic and he resented her for a while but he eventually forgave her. He had to if she was dating his darling sister.

Shay walked down after Esme in a dark blue gown, and he saw Tiny give her a pleased look. He was sitting next to Zig, who had a look that screamed he was surprised he was still invited to the wedding. Hell, he couldn’t blame him. They didn’t exactly get along in high school at first. But hey they moved past it. They were twenty-four, not sixteen.

Frankie walked down next in her teal gown with a confident strut. His sister was pissed at first when she found out about him and Lola, and he had to nicely remind her that she once dated  _ his  _ best friend without any regards to how he would feel so logically she should have no qualms with him being with  _ her  _ best friend. But soon she became their biggest supporter, especially since the rest of his family did not approve of Lola or the baby. His parents even tried to pressure Lola into getting an abortion behind his back. Frankie defended him and his family fiercely however, and he couldn’t be more proud of her. Even Hunter came around eventually since he saw how happy Lola and Hope made him.

His mother tolerated Lola only because of Hope, but his father never did approve of her and Hope and thus didn’t come to the wedding. Miles Hollingsworth II made it clear that his son marrying a poor hair stylist was not in his plans, even if she was the mother of his grandchild. When pressuring Lola into aborting Hope didn’t work, he also tried to pressure her and her family to move away before she really started showing with the promise of paying for the baby. When that didn’t work and he got into another fight with him, his father gave up and just opted to cut him off and kick him out the house. He had to live with Lola’s parents and it’s been six years then. His mother occasionally sent them money in secret because she felt bad. She even helped pay for their wedding, but she was never going to leave his father and he accepted that.

He had been very hurt by all of this, and still was to an extent because he thought his relationships with his father would finally improve, but he had made his peace with it now. He could only hope that his daughter saw him as ten times the father his own was. Lola’s family accepted him as one of their own and that was basically all that mattered. He even decided to get married in her family’s yard to symbolize how important they were to him.

Anyway, he shouldn’t be thinking about this when this was supposed to be the happiest day of his life.

Lola, accompanied by her father, was finally next and she stole the show.

She took his breath away with how beautiful she looked. Her face was obscured by her veil, which was lined with multi-colored flowers, but he could see her cranberry-colored curls from afar. Her wedding dress was cute, poofy, and princess-like much like Hope’s was. Her father could barely conceal his tears as he walked her down the aisle. Miles felt his own tears well up, and he wasn’t sure that the groom was supposed to cry but he couldn’t help but be emotional.

This was actually happening.

* * *

It was a good thing she had decided to use waterproof mascara, because she was bawling.

Frankie sniffled quietly as she watched Miles and Lola exchange wedding vows. While Lola’s vows were simple yet sweet, Miles’ vows were long and dramatic because he wouldn’t have it any other way. He had asked her for help when he was writing them, and she had to gently tell him to tone them down. Nobody was going to sit and listen to eight pages worth of vows. Lola would have stopped paying attention after the third page.

“If it wasn’t for you, I don’t think I would have survived senior year. That fateful night we made Hope, I had no idea how that was going to impact my life and I’m thankful everyday that it happened. I love you, Lola Pacini, and nothing makes me happier than the fact that after today, you will be my wife. You and Hope are the light of my life,” Miles finished passionately with a misty look in his eyes. She didn’t have to look at Lola to know she was crying. 

Frankie felt her lip quiver as she struggled to not let out a sob. If this was how she behaved at her brother’s wedding, then she was going to be an absolute wreck at her own wedding with Esme. But she couldn’t help it, this was all so romantic and emotional. 

She was angry at first when Lola told her that she was pregnant with Miles’ baby, because no sister wants to entertain the thought of her best friend fucking her older brother and getting pregnant by him. Sure she dated Winston, but they never had sex. The circumstances of how Lola and Miles got together was even worse since it was an affair. She didn’t really speak to them for a week or two after she found out but she eventually sucked it up, if only because they were going to need all the support they could get.

Now, she couldn’t picture them with anyone but each other. She never saw either as happy with anyone as they were with each other. They were truly soulmates, and even if she still wished they got together under less scandalous circumstances, she was glad they fell in love. She was happier than anything that Hope came out of their love story, because she adored her precious niece.

As the couple exchanged rings, Frankie smiled at her brother to let him know that she was proud of how far he came. Miles used to be sad, miserable, and angry at the world but now because of Lola and Hope, he was able to overcome his pain and be at peace with himself. Now he was going to be a happy family man.

Not so bad for the black sheep of the family, eh?

* * *

He didn’t know why he came when this hurt more than anything.

Tristan watched the happy couple as they kissed to signify their marriage. The crowd cheered, clapped, and whistled loudly. He smiled and gave a soft clap.

After all of these years, he still carried a torch for Miles long after Miles had moved on to be with his family. He remembered how hurt he was when Miles broke up with him for Lola. At first he wasn’t too angry at his ex-boyfriend for cheating on him while he was in a coma. After all, he didn’t wake up for months and he could have died. As selfish as he was towards Miles in their relationship, he would have wanted him to move on. However, Miles decided to stay with him and he thought for a moment that they could move on and be better than before.

Then Lola told Miles she was pregnant and after a few months, it was obvious who Miles was going to choose. So he was dumped, and it cut deeper than any bus crash could, but it allowed him to self-reflect.

Miles was nothing but unhappy while they were together and he contributed to a big part of that. He was too busy seeing Miles as this perfect fairytale boyfriend to really care that Miles was living in an unhappy environment at home. He didn’t know him at all. As a result, Miles confided in everyone but his own boyfriend. Even worse, he was slut-shamed him and invalidated his sexuality constantly because he was insecure. Tristan was ashamed of himself looking back. He was so possessive and atrocious but he painted himself as the victim every time. It was no wonder Miles cheated on him. At least they remained friends after their breakup, and after a while Tristan allowed himself to be supportive of Miles trying to raise his kid. 

He was glad that Miles found someone that made him happy even if it was with Lola. He wanted to hate her and her child but he couldn’t. They were everything to Miles that he wasn’t. He could only hope he could find someone like that one day. When he got the invite to the wedding, he almost didn’t want to come but he had to. If he was going to get over Miles, he would have to watch him get married so it could sink in that they were over.

Tristan looked on with a melancholy smile as Miles and Lola walked happily down the aisle together with Hope cheerfully skipping behind them.

Miles’ eyes locked with his for a second, and Tristan gave him a supportive nod.

* * *

“Is it me or does the food from the Cantina taste better than it usually does?” Baaz asked as he munched on some enchiladas.

“I guess it’s the occasion,” Hunter remarked as he sipped wine. He and his friends as Miles danced with Hope on the ballroom floor. He smiled as his niece giggled while his brother spun her around. 

Unlike Frankie, he didn’t really care about Miles hooking up with Lola and knocking her up all those years ago. Sure he had a tiny crush on her but they barely talked. He just knew her as Frankie’s weird, quirky best friend. Now if Miles impregnated Yael, then yeah, he would be furious. Thankfully that didn’t happen.

Yael was going around and taking pictures in their yellow tuxedo. Miles and Lola didn’t know what role they were going to serve at the wedding because they couldn’t exactly be a bridesmaids or a groomsmen. But Yael eagerly volunteered to be a photographer and it was settled. Hunter just wished they didn’t insist on taking like a hundred pics of the wedding party after the ceremony. His feet were still hurting from it.

“I just love happy endings,” Vijay said with a sniffle. He then wiped his nose with a rainbow napkin. “This is the  _ cutest  _ wedding ever!” He exclaimed.

“I guess so. I just never seen so much rainbow in my life and I think I’m good on seeing it for a while after this,” Hunter replied as he looked around the hall. There was so much rainbow in the decorations, he could almost  _ taste  _ them. There were rainbow streamers, rainbow balloons, rainbow table cloths, rainbow utensils, rainbow candles, and even rainbow plates. Hell, if a Leprechaun popped up with a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow curtains, he wouldn’t be surprised. It was amusing to watch his mother try to talk Lola down from the rainbow aesthetic but his sister-in-law put her foot down. She was going to have her multi-colored or else she was snatching Miles and taking him down to the courthouse.

Hunter bit into his chicken tortilla and savored the strong flavor. The food that was provided from the Cantina really  _ was _ good. This was his second plate. His mom tried to get some stuffy, expensive place to cater for the reception but Lola’s father rejected that idea, and thank God for that. He looked at the menu of that place and the food looked nasty as hell.

He felt someone tug at his pants. He turned and saw that it was Hope.

“Uncle, will you dance with me?” Hope asked. She had frosting on her cheeks, courtesy of the white, wedding cake that was of course lined with multi-colored flowers made of fondant. The cake tasted great too as it was chocolate with raspberry filing.

“Nah, I don’t dance,” he rejected, which made her pout.

“Pwease….pwease….. _ pwease _ ,” she pleaded with big, puppy eyes and he sighed as he put his fork down and got up. “Yay!” She cheered as she pulled him to the dance floor.

It was hard for anyone to get Hunter to do anything, but if anyone could it was niece. Because she was painfully adorable.

* * *

“Auntie, where are Mommy and Daddy going?” Hope asked in confusion as she watched her parents sneak away from the hall. They were supposed to make her take a bath and then tuck her in her bed.

Her aunt had a weird smile on her face. “Oh, they’re going to bed. It’s been a longgg day and they’re tired,” she answered but Hope didn’t think she was telling the whole truth.

“But what about me?” She asked again.

“Well...You’ll be going home with grandpa tonight, okay?” Her aunt replied. Hope nodded, but she still didn’t understand.

“Can I have more chocolate cake?” 

“Definitely! Follow me,” her aunt ordered as she led her to the tasty cake again. 

Today was so much fun! Everyone looked so pretty, especially Mommy and Daddy. Her parents wouldn’t stop smiling and it made her happy in return. Everyone kept crying a lot but her grandma explained it was because they were happy. She didn’t understand it but she accepted it.

As Hope ate her fifth slice of cake, she thought about how this was better than any fairy tale her parents read to her.


	2. Eclare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Eclare wedding. Yes Adam is still alive because I say so. Also this takes place in a timeline where coronavirus never happened 🙂.

“Is she still getting dressed?” Alli, Clare’s best friend and Maid of Honor asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I hope she’s almost ready because we don’t want to be late,” Jenna, Clare’s other best friend replied. Darcy Edwards then decided to speak up.

“I’ll go check on her,” she said to the both of them before she knocked on the door to their hotel suite. They were all of course talking about her little sister, Clare, who was getting married to her high school sweetheart, Eli Goldsworthy today.

No one answered the door. Darcy sighed before knocking louder on the door. “Clare, it’s your sister! Let me in!”

“Fine!” She heard Clare answer sharply from the other side before opening it. Clare dragged her inside the door quickly and shut it before her friends could say anything.

Darcy looked her sister over. Clare looked absolutely gorgeous in her wedding gown. It was a long, sleek dress with a v neckline, embroidered lace, a tight bodice, and a sheer shawl. It was vintage yet modern at the same time, which was good because all of the dresses Clare was looking at before she picked this one were hideous. _Very_ hideous. She and Alli had to talk Clare out of wearing one dress that looked _straight_ out of their grandmother’s closet. She had to bluntly tell her little sister that men would fuck anything but not her in that dress, not even Eli. Since they were little girls Clare was hellbent on dressing like an old lady and Darcy couldn’t understand why. Sometimes she wondered if Clare was adopted, because they were literally nothing alike. 

Clare’s hair was pulled up into an elegant, braided bun that was pinned with baby blue flowers. Her eyeshadow was also baby blue and combined with the soft pink lipstick, brought out her blue eyes. Blush was painted on her round cheeks. 

Darcy kinda wanted to cry. Her baby sister was really getting married. She remembered Clare yapping about joining a nursery when they were kids to get away from “stupid boys” and now she was marrying one. Okay Eli wasn’t “stupid” but he was still a boy. 

“You look beautiful, Clare. Now is there a reason why you’re still in here?” Darcy asked.

“I don’t know if I want to do this,” Clare answered in a shaky tone of voice.

“Get married?”

“Yes....”

Darcy resisted the urge to roll her eyes and she swallowed the urge to groan in annoyance. “You want to bail on the day of your wedding? Literally an hour before the ceremony?” She questioned in disbelief. 

“I don’t want to but I’m scared that I’m making the wrong decision. I love Eli but am I ready to spend the rest of my life with him?” Clare pondered out loud, and a headache was beginning to form in Darcy’s head. 

“Isn’t this the type of thinking that should happen _before_ the wedding, Clare? Before the rehearsal dinners, bachelorette parties, dress shopping, and cake testing? Last night you wouldn’t stop talking about how excited you are about marrying Eli, and now you want to leave him at the altar? Come on sis,” Darcy replied. She nearly rubbed her temples in agitation at Clare’s antics but she wasn’t about to fuck her makeup up. _‘You seem to always make wrong decisions easily no matter what,’_ Darcy wanted to add dryly but she knew it wouldn’t be right in this instance.

“It’s just...we have been through a lot, Darcy. It seems that we keep having these issues and I don’t know if a marriage would make it worse,” her sister argued while folding her arms. Darcy then grabbed her shoulders and shook her a little.

“Clare, relax. No relationship is perfect and all relationships will have problems but if you guys want to make it work, then you guys will work. Haven’t you and Eli came out of every problem stronger than ever?” She questioned her wearily. Clare and Eli’s relationship made her anxious and she’s been privy to everything that happened between them since they met. Back when she was still in Kenya, Clare would send her emails and complain about this pompous goth kid in her class with an annoying smirk. Soon it became her friend that was fighting with this school thug, then it became her new crush with a dead ex-girlfriend, then her boyfriend with mental health problems she couldn’t control, then it was her ex-boyfriend that was writing a play about their fucked up love life, then it was her boyfriend again who was trying to get into NYU, then it was her ex-boyfriend that wanted a break from her smothering him, then it was her boyfriend again at NYU who came in to help her deal with cancer, then it was her cheating ex-boyfriend that she was _definitely_ over with for good, then it was her friendly ex and baby daddy that was just here to support the baby, then it was her fucking boyfriend _again_ , then her fiancé that she was moving in with when she attended Columbia. 

It was a....lot. _Christ_ it was too much even reading those damn emails and it got worse when Clare began Skyping her. All of these drama that came when her little sister decided to change herself and get involved with boys after all stressed her the fuck out. She couldn’t believe that the Clare that read the Bible every night before bed was the same Clare that would get knocked up in her senior year and not know who the baby daddy was. It was all too much. By the time Clare was talking about her junior year, Darcy barely recognized her.

For a long time, just by reading Clare’s emails about him, Darcy didn’t like her future brother-in-law. He sounded like a whiny, overdramatic, pretentious, weird prick that was taking advantage of Clare’s kindness. Sure she was grateful that he was there for her during several difficult times but if a guy crashed his car into a wall to get her to stay with him, she would have filed a restraining order against him. Plus he cheated on Clare like as soon as he went off to college and later called her a whore. She wanted to kick his ass or call Peter up to make _him_ kick his ass. They were co-workers after all. But he ultimately got his shit together and made Clare happy so she sucked it up for her sister. It helped that once they met in person, he didn’t seem so bad. He still came off as pretentious and dramatic but he was honestly a perfect match for her equally dramatic little sister. She couldn’t really bring herself to hate him.

“Yeah but...,” Clare tried to respond before trailing off. Darcy pursed her lips.

“You know how I feel about the guy, Clare. He’s annoying but he’s your soulmate and you love him and he loves you. You both have been through so much together and you’re going to let some pre-wedding nerves ruin the best day of your life? Don’t do that. This is the next chapter of your story with him, and it’s up to you to fill in the pages to make it wonderful. Do whatever you can to make this marriage a long-lasting one. Whatever it takes, right?” Darcy told her, and she could see that she was getting through to her.

Clare took a deep breath before nodding firmly. “Okay, I’ll do this,” she accepted. 

“Good, now come on. We have a wedding to start and you have a groom to marry,” Darcy ordered while giving her sister an encouraging smile. 

She grabbed Clare’s hand and led her out of the room and into the hallway where the rest of the bridesmaids were waiting. All of them were wearing baby blue gowns to match her sister’s eyes.

Darcy gave her sister a gentle squeeze and Clare smiled back at her.

* * *

The ride to the church felt like forever.

In the limo, Clare was holding on tightly to her bouquet of baby blue flowers. She was sitting between Alli and Darcy who were both squeezing her hand to soothe her nerves. The feelings she had were almost overwhelming.

It felt like a thousand years ago that she was talking to Alli about getting K.C. back when some guy in a hearse ran over her glasses. And now she was marrying that guy almost ten years later on a day where the sun never shined brighter.

It was amusing actually. If she could go back in time and tell her younger self that her future husband would be a man that used to dress in all black and drove a funeral car to high school, she was sure that her younger self would scream at her in denial. It was a strange thing to comprehend for sure. When they met, it seemed like Eli was her polar opposite and everything she didn’t want in a guy. She was a Christian while he was an atheist. Her parents were strict, upstanding members of the community while his parents were loose, drug using swingers. She dressed in light colors such as blue and white while he dressed in all black. She mostly listened to pop music and Christian rock music while he listened to angry death metal music. She prided herself on having a pleasant, proper personality while he was snarky and blunt. Her eyes were a soft blue while his was an intense green. 

On the surface they weren’t compatible and she did resent him and that annoying smirk of his at first. She complained to Alli and Darcy about Eli all of the time. She would even fantasize about strangling him with his headphones in class. 

But everything changed when Ms. Dawes assigned them as writing partners for English class on that fateful day. From then on, she quickly found out that Eli Goldsworthy was more than an irritating, creepy, and smug asshole. He was just as passionate about writing as she was and understood all of the complexities that came with it. He encouraged her to be more adventurous with her writing, to take risks instead of playing it safe all of the time. He tried to help her cope with her parents fighting with each other by pushing her to write about it. Even though he was meddling in her business, it touched her that he went out of his way to help her with her problems when they barely knew each other at the time. 

From then on, they became friends and soon lovers. For a guy she swore she hated, she fell for Eli pretty hard and fast. Him being physically attractive certainly helped, especially after she started to find his smirk more sexy than irritating, but it wasn’t just that. Eli just seemed to get her on a level K.C. never did and they were more alike than they thought. They built a relationship on trust and support even before they got together. Even though he stressed her out with his conflict with Fitz, she tried to help as best as she could even though she didn’t support it. Even though he “killed” his last girlfriend, she didn’t judge him especially when Julia getting hit by a car was not his fault. She never knew what would happen next being around Eli, but she didn’t care because he made her feel good and free like she didn’t before.

When they had their first real kiss, not the one they had to do for class but the one in the library, it felt so right. She would never forget how passionately Eli kissed her that day to let her know that he was ready to be with her. It was one of the best moments in her life and she knew she was in love. Eli was a complex individual with so many flaws yet many virtues, but she was ready to handle that.

It has been a wild roller coaster ride since then. She and Eli went through three breakups, hoarding, hearse crashing, a messy play Eli wrote about their relationship, Eli confessing to her that he had bipolar disorder, her sexual assault from her boss, Eli wanting distance from her after finding Campbell Saunders’ body in the greenhouse, prom night sex, her having cancer, Eli cheating on her, her dumping him over voicemail and sleeping with Drew, her pregnancy and miscarriage, and her taking a gap year while he attended college at NYU. They went through a...lot and it was a testament of their love that they came out stronger every time. And now they were officially going to spend the rest of their lives together as Eli Goldsworthy and Clare...Edwards. Yes, she was keeping her maiden name.

Clare was anxious but also excited. There was no one she loved more than Eli Goldsworthy, her twin flame and even though he drove her crazy at times, she couldn’t imagine a life without him. They have been together for almost seven years at this point and her love for him hasn’t faded yet.

When they got to the church, her father was waiting for her at the entrance with a proud but sad smile on his face. He would always see her as his little girl even though she was twenty-four now. For some time their relationship had soured while she was in high school due to him cheating on her mother, divorcing her, and then not allowing her to live with him with his new girlfriend when she needed him. But eventually she forgave him and things have never been better between them.

She stepped out of the car and smoothed out her gown before walking up to him with a warm smile.

“Ready, Clare?” He asked her as he linked his arm around her.

“Of course, Daddy,” she answered confidently as her bridesmaids lined up. They watched from the side as Fiona, Imogen, Jenna, Darcy, and Alli each walked down the aisle. Waiting for her turn felt like forever and a hard knot was growing in her stomach.

Now it was time for her to walk down the aisle.

She took a deep breath as she held onto her father tightly while they entered the church together. She spotted so many familiar faces as everyone focused on her. In the pews were Ms. Dawes, Peter, K.C., Wesley, Principal Simpson, Spinner, Dallas and Rocky, Becky, Katie, Marisol, Jack, Drew and Bianca, Eli’s roommates, his parents, Glenn, and her mother who was already crying. There were others but those in particular stood out. In addition to her bridesmaids, there were the groomsmen; Adam, Jake, Dave, and Mo, and Connor.

The most important person was of course Eli, who gave her his signature smirk as she came down. The sunlight from the stained glass windows gave his light brown hair a radiant glow and nearly made him look heavenly, which was more than a little ironic. He looked incredibly handsome in his black tuxedo and blue bowtie. She struggled not to bit her lip in desire.

Every face in the church became a blur as she could only look at Eli. Their eyes met and as cliché as it sounded, it felt like there was nobody else in the church but them. Only Eli mattered to her right now.

Her greatest love.

Her partner.

Her best friend.

Her soulmate.

* * *

He has dreamed about this moment since forever, and now that it was actually happening he couldn’t believe it was real.

“I don’t know how my life would have ended up if it wasn’t for that day you ran over my glasses. It sounds crazy, I know, but from the moment you told me I had pretty eyes, it awoke something in me and I had a feeling that I would never forget that day. Eli, from the time we got to know each other you pushed me to break out of my shell and become a stronger person. You not only challenged me to become a better writer but you challenged me to completely let go of the little girl I once was and become the woman I am now. When I was with you, I was free of all the problems I had and I didn’t have to think about anything. I could just be _me._ You were there for me when my parents were fighting. You were there for me when they divorced. You were there for me when I hurt my hand in the woods. You were there for me when I needed someone from Drama club to help me write my article for the school newspaper. You were there for me during my internship and you were there for me through my assault. You were there for me when I had cancer, and despite us hitting a very rough patch not too soon after that, when you got wind that I was carrying your son, you were there for me. You were there for me even after I lost him. You saw me at my lowest point so many times and refused to leave me. No matter what you put me first because you love me so much. If there was one word to describe you, Eli, it would be extraordinary. To me, you’ll never be just the Emo kid who drove a hearse to school and had a chip on his shoulder. You’re a caring, selfless, passionate, talented, and wonderful person that came into my life when I least expected it and for that I’m eternally grateful. You are my whole world and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you, Elijah Goldsworthy,” Clare declared passionately to him with tears in her eyes, and he could hear the sob in her voice that was threatening to jump out. She looked beyond beautiful in this moment. It was going to sound cheesy as hell but she looked like an angel. Well she was an angel to him at this point, his own angel that he never wanted to let go.

Eli looked around the room and at the wedding party. There were barely any dry eyes left in the church and he didn’t even say his own vows yet. He noticed that his mother was now on her fifth tissue as she wiped her eyes with it. He could even hear her sniffling. Alli was visibly crying, which was amusing considering how they used to not get along.

The reverend gestured for him to say his vows next. Eli took a very deep breath in anticipation for what he was about to say. When he wrote his vows, it took him around twenty rough drafts to perfect them. Then Adam had to tell him to tone it down because his vows were way too long. He couldn’t help it. He couldn’t just express his love for Clare Diana Edwards in a short manner.

“Clare...if I’m being honest, there’s not enough words to express how much you meant to me and that I honestly don’t think I would be here today if it weren’t for you,” he started off as he looked deep into her eyes, “You wouldn’t believe how hard it was to write these vows because where do I begin with us? But here’s my attempt. When I first came to Degrassi, it was after what I thought at the time to be the darkest period in my life. I lost my first girlfriend in a hit-and-run that I thought for a long time was my fault. I was lonely, bitter, angry, and full of self-loathing. It’s why I didn’t like you at first at the very beginning of the school year. You came off as naive, innocent, pushy, stuck-up, and spoiled. Here I was with a dead girlfriend and a reputation as a satanic death worshipper and your biggest problem was that you got a C on an English paper. The only thing I liked about you was your pretty blue eyes. But because of us being assigned partners for class, I realized that I was wrong about everything”. 

He saw Ms. Dawes smile proudly at that statement. Truthfully he and Clare should treat her to a nice dinner or buy her an expensive gift after this because she was the reason why they were here today. He had never loved a teacher or professor more than Ms.Dawes. He took another deep breath before continuing.

“Don’t get me wrong, you were still pretty pushy but I saw the potential in you. The only thing you had to do was loosen up and you did by screaming your lungs out on the street when I dared you to do it. You proved to me that you really didn’t care what people thought of you and my opinion of you quickly changed. You didn’t have a dead girlfriend but you had a sister that was far away in another country, parents that were constantly fighting, and an ex-boyfriend that was with another girl. You had your own issues that were tearing you apart and you needed someone to be there for you. I had no idea it would be me. Despite these problems you had, you still remained a kind soul that saw the best in everyone, even a wretch like me. I rejected you coldly back when I was denying my feelings for you, even though I literally couldn’t stop fantasizing about being with you, and you still wouldn’t let go of me because you knew we had something special. I drove you to the place where Julia died, and even though I told you I killed her, you didn’t scream and run away from me. You didn’t blame me for her death and you didn’t judge me. I wasn’t the Emo Freak to you, I was just Eli, your partner and best friend. It’s why I could no longer deny that I was in love with you and that I had to kiss you right then and there in the library. You saw that I was a hoarder and instead of seeing me as a weirdo, you helped me clean up my room and you hugged me. When you saw me cry in Morty after I saw Fitz in your house, you held me and told me that you would never give up on me. The fact that you never gave up on me even though I displayed self-destructive behavior so many times means you’re one of the most loyal and devoted people in my life.”

He could feel Clare’s heart racing as he said these words, and his own heart was hammering in his chest as he told their love story to the crowd. 

“However, you were never afraid to distance yourself away from me when I was wrong and you were strict with me when it was needed. I was devastated when you broke up with me after I crashed Morty. So much that I wrote a play about you to try to win you back. But I know now that it was needed because even though I was in love with you, I was not ready to be in a relationship with getting therapy for my problems. You deserved better and I’m glad that you pushed me to want better for myself too. Even though I was ready to let you go so you can be happy with Jake, you ultimately took me back and told me you were all in this time. You supported me with the play, the short film, and you tried your best to help me with Cam. You had your own troubling ordeals but you tried your best to help me with my own even though I ended up leaving you the second time we parted. I should have never blamed you for me not getting over seeing Cam when you just tried to help, and I wouldn’t have blamed you if you never took me back. But you did. Sure I had to dress up like a Disney prince and bring you a horse carriage to win you back, but it worked because your heart is bigger than the sun. When I graduated, I didn’t know how I was going to handle being without you in another country. I jumped up at the opportunity to be with you when you had cancer, not only because you needed me more than ever but because I was already going crazy not seeing your beautiful face in person. What was I without my soulmate? Nothing.”

The next part was hard to say, as he was still filled with shame for what went down between them in her senior year of high school and his freshman year of college. It was their lowest period as a couple and a point they should never reach again.

“My biggest regret and the one I will never forgive myself for is cheating on you. To this day, I don’t know why I did it and how I could have so easily cheated on you when I fought hard so many times to earn your love. What I do know is that I will never stop being sorry for the turmoil I caused you. It’s a miracle you didn’t dump me right then and there when I deserved it. One simple, illicit kiss nearly ruined everything we had. I was upset when I walked in on you and Drew, but what right did I have when I started this by destroying the foundation we made? I only made it worse with how I regretted it when I thought you were pregnant with Drew’s baby. I should have never punched him and I should have never called you a whore when you tried to tell me it was mine. I was beyond awful to you Clare and I hurt you so much. I’m sorry.”

He still couldn’t believe she took him back for all of that. It was a testament to her very kind and forgiving soul. He would never stop being grateful for that but he also knew that he needed to never break her down like that again.

“When I found out I was going to be a father, I put whatever anger I had towards you aside for the benefit of our child. With the way I treated you, you had every right to not speak to me unless it involved our baby. Yet, you not only forgave me but you took me back as your lover. I didn’t deserve you at that point but you still wanted me. Even when we lost our son, and there would be no reason to stay with me, you did. We’ve been through together and I put you through so much turmoil that you didn’t deserve. If either of us were any weaker, we would have been over a long time ago. But today we’re here in front of everyone to get married, because our love for each other came out on top. You’re not perfect, I’m not perfect, and our relationship has never and will never be perfect but we made it and we’re going to be okay. We have moved beyond the worst period of our lives together and it’s only up from here. Our relationship will never be twinkly lights but our love for each other burns hotter than the sun. I love you, Clare Edwards, and I meant it when I once said that you were the most incredible person I have ever met in my life. You are my other half, my twin flame, my best friend, my partner, and my soulmate. I will say it again, I love you and I will never stop loving you,” he finished as his voice started to crack. He knew he was crying as he could feel the tears streaming down his face. Clare’s lip quivered as she wiped her wet eyes. Eli looked over at the audience again and his mother was full on crying now. Even his father had tears in his eyes as he gave him a proud smile.

The next thing they did was exchange rings. Of course, both of their wedding bands were a bright gold. It would be pretty ironic to have “Goldsworthy” as a last name and have a silver wedding band. Clare’s ring had a sapphire center to represent her eyes, just like the engagement ring he bought her. 

He and Clare shared a bright smile as they waited for the next part. The one thing they’ve been waiting two years to hear.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife. Eli you may now kiss the bride,” the reverend declared cheerfully.

Eli grabbed his wife and pulled her into a deep kiss, dipping her while everyone around cheered in joy at their union.

* * *

“Awww look at you guys! You guys are so cutttteee!” Alli Bhandari gushed as she watched her best friend take pictures with her husband. They were all at Degrassi, where the happy couple met. Clare and Eli shared several passionate kisses as the photographer snapped a series of pictures of them.

She was genuinely happy for Clare and Eli. Sure she couldn’t stand Eli for the longest time for how he treated Clare during certain periods, she accepted the fact that this guy was the one for her friend. Eli made Clare happy and that was that. He just better treat Clare right or she was going to stomp her heels repeatedly onto his balls until they exploded.

“Look at our little Clarebear. She’s all grown up and a wife now,” Jenna remarked in amusement as she stood next to her. The two friends watched wistfully as their friend embraced her true love tenderly underneath the tree where they shared their first “kiss”. They already took some pictures at the spot where Eli infamously ran over Clare’s glasses with his hearse all of those years ago. “Am I the only one that thought she would be the last of us to get married?” 

“Yeah, I was supposed to be the first one to get married. Clare stole my shine,” Alli replied with a fake pout as she thought about the engagement ring Dallas bought her that she couldn’t wear today. It was a gold band with a diamond center and it was encrusted with rubies. He had actually proposed to her last week after coming back from his championship hockey game but they both knew it wasn’t the right time to announce it yet. But she was very excited to marry. Just like Clare found her true love, she had found hers.

“You know, I never thought that when I met Clare that she would go on and marry a goth guy when she used to be so…. _Puritan_ ,” Jenna commented with a raised eyebrow.

“Well I thought she was going to marry some good Christian, church-going boy that knew the Bible from front to back. Boy was I wrong,” Alli replied.

“I mean Eli does know the Bible from front to back. He’s just an atheist,” Jenna pointed out.

“That’s going to be interesting when they have kids,” Alli replied as she pursed her lips.

“Hopefully it won’t be too big of a problem. Now come on, this is a day where we don’t think about all of the crazy drama Clare has had and will continue to have with Eli. This is a day of great happiness for her. Anyway, I’m tired of her just taking pictures with Eli, let’s kidnap her for a bit!” Jenna said cheerfully before going off to snatch Clare away from Eli. Clare didn’t put up much of a fight when Jenna grabbed her arm and pulled her off.

“Alright! Alright! Where are we going?” Clare asked with a laugh.

“The front steps of the school, duh,” Jenna answered. The three friends traveled to the front of the school with the photographer trailing behind him.

Looking at Degrassi as it was now made Alli emotional. The school was still very much standing and it probably was still a crazy place crawling with cheating boyfriends, pregnant girlfriends, incompetent staffers, inappropriate teachers, edgy band kids, bitchy cheerleaders, jerkish athletes, aggressive queen bees, and messy student council members. She almost missed her time there if only because of the moments she spent with her friends. She didn’t miss the countless mistakes she made with boys though as those were the mistakes made by a little girl. Now she was a grown woman who could stand proudly on her own with or without a man. She regretted all of her contributions to making Degrassi a messy place full of drama but that was in the past thankfully. No kids at this school right now would even know what a “Backwoods Bhandari” was.

“It feels like it’s been a million years since I attended Degrassi. Remember when I transferred here at the beginning of the Spring semester?” Jenna asked as she smoothed out her blue gown.

“Yeah and then you took my boyfriend,” Clare answered dryly but they all knew she didn’t care about it anymore. The K.C. drama felt like it occurred in prehistoric times at this point. Both Clare and Jenna had moved on to better guys.

“Well I did you a favor did I? It led you to your soulmate so technically I should get a bouquet of flowers in me and Connor’s mailbox soon as a thank you gift, Clarebear?” Jenna suggested with a smirk while Alli playfully rolled her eyes in response. 

“I’ll think about it while Eli and I are in Paris next week,” Clare replied with a giggle as they all got into position for the photographer. Clare stood in the middle while both her and Jenna embraced her from different sides.

As the camera flashed in her eyes, Alli couldn’t help but be super proud of what they all had grown into as adult women.

They put all of their high school drama behind them and became beautiful, strong, and powerful women. 

To her, Clare and Jenna were her sisters.

* * *

“I would like to make a toast to the lovebirds,” Adam Torres announced as he held his wine glass up. He stood up and looked at his best friends with a goofy smile on his face. “It took them a long time to get here, and it wasn’t always easy...because these two were such idiots sometimes it stressed me out. Whenever they had problems, I was the first one to hear about, and trust me it wasn’t fun. It was always bad. _But_ every time they fell apart, they came back stronger than ever because that's how much they love each other. They’re the definition of a strong relationship, and you have to be blind to not see the love they have for each other. Look at them!” He pointed out as he gestured to Eli and Clare, who were sending him amused looks. 

“Now, what I really want to talk about is how they both accepted me as trans without any fuss. I wasn’t expecting to make friends when I came to Degrassi as I was bullied badly at my old school for being who I am. I was scared to come out at this new school as I didn’t want the trauma. Before I came out to Eli and Clare, I already interacted with them. Eli and I became friends after we went to a rock concert together, and Clare covered for me when my tampons fell out of my locker. In hindsight, I shouldn’t have been so nervous to come out to them, but I was. I didn’t want to lose my new friends, but when they told me they….just accepted me? I wasn’t used to that at all. Suddenly my world was a lot less lonely. Clare even talked me out of reverting back to “Gracie” because I shouldn’t sacrifice my own identity to make others happy. Clare, I don’t know if you know this, but it meant a lot to me that you as a Christian never tried to tell me that I was wrong for being trans. And you are always supportive of me afterwards. Thank you, Clare. And as for you Eli, you’re my best buddy. We got into so much trouble together and you always had my back. I don’t want to think about how things would have ended up for me if I never met you guys. I love you Eli and Clare, and here’s to an amazing marriage between you too,” he finished as everyone clapped. He heard Becky let out an “Aww!” in the crowd. 

His wife was such a sap for mushy stuff sometimes. At their own wedding, Becky cried so much Jenna had to quickly reapply her makeup before they took pictures. Then when she cried at the reception, Imogen had to reapply her makeup yet again in one of the hotel bathrooms before their wedding night. It was a messy affair but also endearing in a way.

Just like how his best friends found true love in each other, he found it in Becky Baker. Their relationship problems weren’t as rough as Eli and Clare’s, but they overcame them just as strongly. They were very happily in love and soon they would start a family.

He couldn’t wait for his kids to play with Eli and Clare’s kids. 

They could even be the new Misfits.

* * *

It was interesting how one small decision to assign two of her students as English partners to improve their writing led to a marriage almost ten years later.

Elizabeth Dawes ate a piece of marble wedding cake as she watched Clare get ready to toss the bouquet to a bunch of excited women. 

“Are you girls ready?” Clare asked cheerfully over her shoulder. All of the women screamed a yes in return. “One...two….three!” She shouted as she then threw it over her shoulder. 

Some women jumped. Some women dived. However Clare’s older sister was the lucky one who caught it just by holding her hand up. She then gave a blond-haired young man a suggestive smile.

“I can’t thank you enough, Ms. Dawes,” Eli said to her as he approached her with a smile. In the thirty years she had taught high school students, she had never been more fond of a student than Eli Goldsworthy other than perhaps Anya Macpherson. Eli was like a son to her.

“For what?” She asked even though she knew why. Both of her former students had expressed in their wedding vows that her pairing them up is how they fell in love in the first place. It was flattering but it also made her a bit flustered.

“For creating us. You were the spark that lit up our love story,” Eli answered warmly.

“Oh I didn’t do much. What happened next was because you and Clare fell in love of your own accord and you two have already interacted beforehand,” she replied casually.

“Yes but we needed a push. You were that push and we’ll always be eternally grateful for that. We owe our love story to,” he insisted before suddenly hugging her. She hugged him with a smile. Clare then called his name and he was walking to her in an instant.

Watching her students share a kiss, she couldn’t help but be misty-eyed. She was so proud of them. Eli had grown into a healthy young man with outstanding talent and Clare had grown into a strong woman who was one hell of a writer. And the two of them were going to grow even more powerful together as a couple.

Pairing them together that fateful day ended up being one of her wisest decisions.

  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. Jiberty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An AU where J.T. lives. The best AU.

_ He had finally woken out of his coma and the only feeling he had was that he felt like shit. _

_ J.T. Yorke laid in his bed as he pondered what exactly did he do to deserve another round in the hospital within the span of a year. Okay, so maybe he shouldn’t have sold drugs and then overdosed on them but did he really deserve to get shanked outside his car? On Liberty’s birthday of all days? Just when he was about to confess his love for her? _

_ The universe was out to get him since the day he was conceived. When he looked at every bad thing that happened in his life it was like he was put on this earth to be one big, practical joke. Maybe that’s why he liked humor so much. _

_ The first person that was there for him when he woke up was Mia, the last person he wanted to see right now unfortunately. Mia actually never did anything wrong to him, in fact she was pretty great. She was beautiful, sweet, gentle, and had a wonderful kid. She was the definition of a dream girl and any guy would be lucky to date her. _

_ The problem was that she wasn’t  _ **_his_ ** _ dream girl and he almost died in the process of figuring that out. _

_ His dream girl was an awkward, clingy, geeky know-it-all who was just as beautiful and sweet. She was intelligent, confident, and a go-getter to boot. He didn’t deserve her at this point but he was in love with her and he can no longer deny it. He missed everything about her and he tried to hide it with Mia but it could no longer work. He had to be with her now. _

_ When Mia walked in, he was scrambling with how to break up with her and not look like an asshole even though his mind was cracked and his voice barely above a whisper. He felt so bad when she immediately ran to hug him with a big smile on her face. She didn’t deserve this. _

_ She took it as well as he expected it. “I’m sorry, but I can’t be with you anymore. I care a lot about you, and you’re an amazing girl but I can’t pretend that I’m in love with you. Find someone that is,” was the words he had told her gently but it was not enough. She looked at him like he was nuts, and when she saw that he was serious, she cried angry tears and left. So now here he was in his hospital bed feeling terrible at the fact that he broke another girl’s heart, even if it was the right thing to do. He definitely wasn’t going to cheat on her. He was an asshole but not that much of an asshole. _

_ Manny came in next, and immediately demanded to know why Mia was crying. When he told her why, she pursed her lips in disapproval but there was a look in her eyes that told him he did the right thing. She went on ahead and fussed over him like an annoying big sister, and J.T. wondered how they ever dated. _

_ Emma came in and asked a million questions, and he had to tell her to stop in amusement. Even though it wasn’t his fault that he got stabbed, he still felt the need to apologize for it happening down at her house. Nothing is more awkward and uncomfortable than having a friend nearly get murdered outside your home. Would Emma be able to even look at that street the same again? _

_ Toby came after Emma, and his best friend was the only one that didn’t coddle him. They just talked, joked, and bullshitted like they always did and will continue to do. For a moment with Toby, it felt like they were at school instead of an ugly hospital. Then Toby left, and said Liberty was next. J.T. felt himself getting very nervous as he waited for her to come in. _

_ Liberty slowly walked in as if she was scared herself to see him. She was dressed in her usual, geeky clothes, and her honey brown hair was falling around her shoulders in curls. _

_ “Hi Liberty,” he croaked out. He winced at how weak he sounded. This was the girl he loved and he couldn’t even muster up enough strength for her. _

_ “Hi,” she greeted back softly as she stood by his hospital bed. _

_ “You can sit on the edge of the bed, you know,” he told her. _

_ “But-“ _

_ “It’s not like you’re going to hurt me anymore than what I’m feeling right now,” he pointed out. After a few uncomfortable seconds, she slowly sat down. _

_ “I ruined your birthday. I’m sorry,” he apologized sheepishly. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. _

_ “What for? J.T., it wasn’t your fault that you got stabbed,” she argued. _

_ “But I mean, it was supposed to be a great night for you. That’s why Manny threw you a party, because you deserve something nice after all you’ve been through last year. But because of me, it’s probably the worst day of your life. I rejected you and then that ginger thug stabbed me, and I felt you holding me while I was bleeding out on the street. I heard you crying and that almost hurt more than being stabbed. I’m sorry Liberty, I never meant to hurt you but I keep doing it,” he told her sorrowfully as he tried to speak normally. But his voice was still cracking. _

_ “I don’t blame you, and I shouldn’t have said I still loved you when you’re with Mia,” she apologized back. _

_ “Well as of right now Mia and I are no longer together.” _

_ “Why?” _

_ “Because I love _ **_you_ ** _ , Liberty and I’m tired of pretending like I don’t.” _

* * *

Toby was going for a walk on the beach during sunrise when he found J.T. sitting casually on the shore. His best friend was just staring as the waves crashed against his feet.

“What are you out here so early? You’re not usually a morning person,” Toby pointed out as he approached J.T.

“I just needed to think. This is about to be the most important day of my life, Tobes. I’m marrying the love of my life,” J.T. answered as he turned to look up at him, “A part of me thinks this wasn’t supposed to happen.” He had a serious look on his face.

“Why? You deserve happiness with Liberty. You guys are madly in love with each other, why do you think this wasn’t supposed to happen?” Toby questioned.

“You know how fucked up my childhood was, Toby. Look at my family. Absent, heroin addicted dad. Single mom that died in a freak car accident before I entered high school. Grandma that was struggling to raise me and pay the bills. Older siblings that moved to the U.S. and never spoke to me again. Then there’s me who overdosed on pills, got dumped by my pregnant girlfriend, had to watch as she gave up our baby for adoption, and then nearly died by getting stabbed on her birthday. Sometimes I think that me surviving that wasn’t supposed to happen. But here I am, twenty-two years old and about to get married to the love of my life. Am I crazy for thinking that this isn’t real? That maybe I really died that night and this is a dying dream?” J.T. asked him.

“Do you want me to pinch you or something if you think this is a dream?” Toby jokingly offered, but he was worried on the inside. J.T. was kinda never the same after that night. In a way he was still J.T., a light-hearted goofball. But he had become a lot more melancholy over the years and took shit way more seriously, especially when it came to Liberty. He had given Liberty a promise ring at graduation, and then proposed to her at her college graduation years later. Ever since he dumped Mia, he had been very devoted to Liberty, which was good because she deserved it. Toby would never admit it, but he was a little hurt though at first because he had developed feelings for Liberty for a brief time. It was in the past now, and he had moved on to someone else.

“I don’t know, maybe?” J.T. responded as he stood up and held out his arm. “Do it.”

Toby reached out and tightly pinched his best friend’s skin, and laughed when J.T. winced in pain. “Ow!” J.T. cried out. “Okay, maybe this isn’t a dream.”

“Alright, you wanna go back to the hotel? You sound like you need some coffee before the main event,” Toby offered with a smile.

“I need coffee, a bagel, a hot shower, and Liberty….but I know that last one isn’t going to happen because I know Manny is holding her hostage right now,” J.T. replied dryly as they started walking back.

“How much do you want to bet that Manny woke her up at like 5 am to make her get ready?” Toby questioned, which only made his friend snort in response.

“You mean 3 am? This is Manny Santos, we’re talking about. You would think  _ she  _ was the one getting married today.”

The two friends shared a laugh as the sky got lighter and lighter to the sunrise.

* * *

_ “That was an interesting movie,” Liberty commented as the credits rolled. _

_ “We just got done watching a comedy and that’s the only thing you can say? Not that it’s funny or anything?” J.T. asked in amusement. He was laying in Liberty’s lap while finishing off their bowl of popcorn. _

_ “It was funny at some parts, I guess. But I was more interested in how it relates to the time period it was released in. There were some jokes and references that didn’t age well, but at the same time there were some that did age well and I think it’s important to view the film in that perspective,” she explained. _

_ “You’re always so serious, Libby. You’re such a nerd,” he teased. _

_ “I’m  _ **_your_ ** _ nerd,” she countered with a smile. _

_ “Damn right, and don’t you forget it. You’re  _ **_mine_ ** _ ,” he jokingly warned before getting his head off her lap. He turned around and stood in front of her before pushing her down on his bed with a smirk. _

_ “No!” She exclaimed before he started tickling her in various places. She playfully tried to fight him off, but it was futile. “Stop! _

_ J.T. did...only to start kissing her instead. _

_ “Have I ever told you how amazing you are, Liberty Van Zandt?” He whispered against her lips. _

_ “Not as much as I would like.” _

_ “Well let me just show you  _ **_how_ ** _ amazing you are.” _

_ Another movie came on but for the next hour, they weren’t paying attention. _

* * *

“Emma Nelson! Are you getting ready in that bathroom?” Manny demanded sharply from her best friend while doing Liberty’s makeup. It was an hour before the wedding and she was close to having a meltdown despite not being the one getting married today. When Liberty chose her to be her Maid of Honor (who else was she picking? Paige? HA!), she couldn’t help but take it seriously. Liberty and J.T. were her best friends and she wanted the wedding to be perfect for them because it’s what they deserved. They went through so much together and today was supposed to prove that they made it through all of the obstacles. There was to be no fuckups today.

“Yes Manny, now leave me alone!” Emma yelled back from inside their hotel bathroom. 

“Good, because if we’re late to the ceremony because of you, it’s your ass!” She shouted back.

“Don’t you think you need to calm down a little?” Liberty asked her in amusement as she finished applying her mascara. 

“Liberty, it’s your wedding day. If anything  _ you  _ should be the one freaking out!” Manny argued as she gave her other best friend a look. Liberty looked gorgeous with her curly updo, white eyeshadow, and lip gloss. And her wedding dress, which was a sleek, short-sleeved gown with a plunging neckline, was simple but elegant. It had a tight fitting bodice and a beady design that was going to make the dress shimmer under the sunlight. It looked boring from far away but the more one looked at it up close, the more it stood out.

Just like Liberty.

“I  _ am  _ freaking out Manny, but I’m trying to remain calm and you’re not helping,” Liberty pointed. “You know you’re going too far when  _ I’m _ the one telling you to calm down.”

“Well Liberty, I just want this day to be amazing for you, and you picked  _ me  _ as your Maid of Honor. What did you expect? You know I don’t bullshit when it comes to important events,” she countered. She already knew that she was going to be a terror when it was time to plan her own wedding with Jay. 

“Can you at least stop terrorizing us then?” Emma asked in as she stepped out of the bathroom in her bridesmaid dress. After she and Emma shot down Liberty’s initial choice to make gray her wedding color it was too boring, Liberty had picked out a steel blue instead. Manny still found the color too dark for a beach wedding but she allowed it because it was a surprisingly pretty color. Emma’s dress had only one strap while her dress had spaghetti straps. Both of their dresses were made of silk and both of them were wearing shawls.

“Nope, now Emma why isn’t your hair done? Get over here!”

* * *

_ If someone told him in grade seven that Liberty Van Zandt, the school nerd, was going to end up prom queen, he would have most definitely laughed in their face and asked if they were drugs.  _

_ Buttttt here Liberty was now, getting a crown placed on her head with him right beside her with his own crown on top of his head. He didn’t know whether people voted for them because they genuinely liked them or because they felt sorry for them. After all, their relationship was the prime source of gossip these days. How many high school couples went through pregnancy, drug overdoses, adoption, and a near death experience? It was almost like they were a couple out of a shitty teen soap opera or something. _

_ “My queen,” he said with a smile as he led her to the dance floor while a love song played in the background. “This is shaping up to be a perfect night.” _

_ “I didn’t expect this,” she replied, smiling excitedly in return as she put her hands on his shoulders while he placed his arms around her waist. They probably looked awkward due to Liberty towering over him in her heels. _

_ “Well it’s actually really fitting. You’re a queen so naturally you deserve a crown,” he reasoned as he took in her beauty. Liberty was the most beautiful girl at the prom with her sexy red dress, curly hair, and glamorous makeup. She looked like a Hollywood starlet and pretty much turned every head when they walked in together. Even Emma’s boyfriend, Damian, wouldn’t stop staring at her the whole night and J.T. kinda wanted to punch him over it. Ever since the guy transferred from Lakehurst, he didn’t even  _ **_try_ ** _ to hide that he wanted Liberty while dating Manny and now Emma. However he was the only one who was seeing it, and it was pissing him off. Damian didn’t even know Liberty like he did, he just saw a beautiful girl he wanted as a conquest. Well he was never going to have Liberty so there was that. _

_ “You flatter me too much,” she replied. _

_ “No it’s true, and I’m glad everyone recognizes who the best girl at Degrassi is. Her name is Liberty Van Zandt and she’s going to rule the world one day but she already rules my heart,” he proclaimed. _

_ “At least you recognize that now,” she told him with a playful smirk. _

_ “It took a really rough period and me being an idiot but we’re here now. We’re royalty, Liberty, and I can’t think of a more perfect way to end the night other than some sexy times in the pool?” He offered with a suggestive smile. _

_ “If you’re lucky.” _

_ “I got stabbed in the back and lived! I’m  _ **_always_ ** _ lucky!” _

* * *

“I was such a dumbass for how I used to treat you, Liberty. I was shallow and a pig for treating you like the ugliest thing in the world when you’re a beautiful person inside and out,” J.T. said to Liberty in front of them all. Toby wanted to wince at the annoyed looks Liberty’s parents sent J.T. at those first two statements. Her family would probably always look down at J.T. in disdain except for Danny, and even he joked about how Liberty could surely do better sometimes.

“I hate that it took me nearly dying for me on that night to recognize that you are the only woman I ever wanted, and I will spend the rest of my life making up for it. Me marrying you today feels like a dream that I’m too scared of waking up from because you’re too good to be real. You're the perfect woman: beautiful, intelligent, strong, sweet, loyal, honest, and hardworking. You deserve everything, and if I could give you the whole universe I could. I use to think the idea of having soulmates were stupid, but I know for sure you are my soulmate. Without you in my life, I don’t think I would be as happy. I wish I could express my love for you more eloquently like the books you love to read but there’s nothing more I can say. I love you Liberty Van Zandt, and it brings me joy to know that I will know you as my wife after today,” his best friend finished with a crack in his voice. To his amusement, J.T. started crying as soon as Liberty walked down the shore with her father. His friend was utterly hopeless when it came to Liberty. J.T. was even stuttering at the beginning of his vows because he couldn’t get over how beautiful Liberty looked. He had to whisper the words in J.T.’s ears while Sean was watching them both with a raised eyebrow.

The couple exchanged rings, and then kissed passionately as Jay, their officiant, proclaimed them husband and wife. Jay marrying them wasn’t really a debate since he was engaged to Manny, who made him get a license. It was kinda hilarious seeing the former school thug wear a fancy tuxedo and a neatly groomed beard.

Toby smiled in pride as everyone around them cheered for the happy couple. It’s been a rough journey for them since middle school but now they are going to be okay. Well they were going to be more than okay, obviously. They’re married now, and madly in love with each other.

To think it took them all those stressful years in high school to get here. He was happy for them both. They were his best friends, and they deserved each other.

Now it was time for them to give him god kids.

* * *

_ “J.T. where are we going?” Liberty asked while her eyes were closed. J.T. had pulled away from her family and friends after the graduation ceremony was over and asked her to close her eyes while he led her somewhere. _

_ “You’re about to see Libby Tibby,” she heard him say. _

_ “Can I at least get a hint?” _

_ “My dear, you ask too many questions. Now hush!” _

_ From the fresh air hitting her, she could tell that they were outside. She could also smell some plants, so maybe they were in a garden? _

_ J.T. suddenly stopped. _

_ “Can I open my eyes, now?” She asked again while folding her arms. _

_ “Gimme me a few seconds…….okay now!” _

_ Liberty opened her eyes and gasped at the sight in front of her. It was something that she had been fantasizing about for years. _

_ J.T. was kneeling in front of her on only one knee and he was holding a silver ring with a diamond in the center. It looked vintage. He was proposing to her! _

_ “Liberty, after knowing you since middle school and being crazy in love with you since high school, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. There’s no other girl I picture being my wife other than you. Without a doubt, you are the love of my life and even if it takes us years to tie the knot, I am willing to wait for you. Will you marry me, Liberty Van Zandt?” He asked her with a nervous smile. _

_ If she was being her usual rational self, she would have taken a few moments to think it over and analyze if accepting this engagement right now was the right decision. But she couldn’t be rational over this. _

_ “Yes!” She answered quickly with an excited jump. _

_ “Woo!” J.T. cheered as he got up. _

_ They shared an emotional hug in the garden as Liberty already started to plan the rest of their lives. _

* * *

“I can’t get over how beautiful this wedding is,” Manny commented as she wiped her eyes with the table napkin for what seemed to be the seventh time this evening. She couldn’t help it. She always loved weddings, and this one was even more special since it involved her friends. It being at a beach made it all the more romantic.

“Do you want this for our wedding, boo?” Jay asked her while eating a piece of roast chicken.

“No, I’m thinking of a beautiful ceremony in Manhattan for us. Somewhere super fancy like the Ritz-Carlton, you know?” She answered as she pictured how the ceremony would go. It was going to be expensive as fuck but with the money she got from her recent box-office hits, it wasn’t going to be a problem. Ah the perks of being the newest Hollywood star.

“Jay Hogart doesn’t usually do fancy,” her fiancé warned in a joking manner.

“Well Manuela Santos doesn’t do cheap or tacky because we’re  _ definitely  _ not marrying at The Ravine,” she warned back while popping a piece of the coconut wedding cake in her mouth.

“Aww but I heard it’s not nearly a trash dump these days, plus I have history there,” he replied with a pout.

“Do I even need to want to know what history it is?” She asked wryly. She would rather not think of how her fiancé gave her best friend a social disease there. Even better she would prefer not to think of Jay and Emma together at all these days.

“Depends if you want the kiddie version or the grownup version,” he asked her in response with a mischievous smirk.

“How about no version?” She answered coldly, and he feigned being hurt at her answer.

“Rude!” He exclaimed melodramatically while she rolled her eyes. 

“Oh shut up and eat this cake. It’s delish,” she commanded as she held up a piece to his mouth. He ate it eagerly while giving her a seductive look. She smirked in return. Her friends weren’t going to be the only ones having fun tonight.

On the dance floor, Liberty and J.T. were dancing with Emma, who looked more than a little tipsy. She was flailing her arms around while wiggling her hips, and there was a goofy smile on her face. The newlyweds were looking very entertained at her antics. Sean was still at their wedding party table with three champagne glasses in front of him, and she could tell that he was contemplating dragging her off the floor. Manny sighed. She should have known Emma was going to get wasted as soon she started praising the champagne. 

When the song was over and Emma started stumbling while trying to walk back to her table, Manny got out of her seat immediately and grabbed her friend’s arm before Sean did. 

“J.T. and Liberty forevahhhhhhhh!” Emma proclaimed loudly while several people sent her confused looks. Principal Simpson and Spike looked at her with deep frowns planted on their faces. 

Sean walked up and grabbed Emma’s other arm. “I think you need to sit down, babe,” he suggested.

“Whyyyy? I’m having so much fun!” She whined.

“It’s not going to be fun when you faceplant on the ground, Emma. I think you need a break,” Manny argued as they led her back to their table.

Even at a wedding, she had to play mother to her friends. Being the mom friend was her main job at this point and perhaps she should start getting paid for it.

She looked back at J.T., who was playfully twirling Liberty around and smiled softly.

Well at least she didn’t have to worry parenting  _ them  _ tonight.

* * *

_ “Are you ready, J.T.?” Liberty asked him in hesitation as she held up the package in front of him. It was a folder. They both knew what was in it.  _

_ “I guess, just open it already,” he answered with a shrug. Inside, he was already getting sad. Liberty opened up the folder and pulled out the pictures of their son one by one. There was a picture of “Chris” (James, he will always be James) eating a big chocolate cake for his sixth birthday, him at Walt Disney World wearing a pair of Goofy ears, him dressing up as Batman for halloween, him swimming in a pool, and him with the new monster truck he got for Christmas. Every year their son’s adopted parents would mail them pictures of Chris so they could see how he was doing these days. He was the same skin tone as Liberty and had her eyes but resembled him more in the face. He was almost his clone. _

_ “He’s a mini you,” Liberty told him with a sad smile. It was interesting how she was able to read his mind so easily these days. _

_ “In appearance, but not in personality,” he remarked. Chris’ adopted parents also updated them on how he was doing in school. He was apparently already showing signs of being a genius just like Liberty. Perfect. It was for the best that any child they had would not inherit his dumbassery. _

_ “Do you think he would actually get to know us one day? After we start our own family?” She questioned. _

_ “I hope so. Hopefully he doesn’t hate us for giving him up so early,” he replied. He already decided that he was going to put as many babies in Liberty as possible before she gave up. He had a depressingly lonely childhood and having a house full of kids will make up for that. However, the fact that their firstborn child wasn’t going to be a part of their household bothered him a lot at times. They were missing out on their kids entire life and it hurt. _

_ “I’m glad he’s living a good life. That’s all I wanted and when we meet him I hope he understands that,” Liberty said in a melancholy tone of voice. _

_ “Yeah, me too,” he replied. Chris was having the wonderful childhood he didn’t have, but he wasn’t there to see it. It was so bittersweet. _

_ For the rest of the night, they decided to just silently watch a movie together. _

* * *

As the sun set on the beach, the couple walked along the shore. They were walking hand-in-hand. The reception was pretty much over at this point and there was only their wedding night now. But before that, they wanted to explore the beach beforehand.

“Hey! It’s still here!” J.T. proclaimed happily as he pointed out some words he drew in the sand earlier in the morning. Liberty looked where he was pointing and saw that the words read “J.T. + Liberty 4 Ever” with a heart underneath the words.

“You really did this for us?” She asked him as she crouched down to take a deeper look. She didn’t know whether it was because of today or not, but she was getting super emotional just looking at it.

“What can I say? I’m a sappy romantic,” he answered with his signature goofy smile. “Especially for you.” He then kneeled down next to her.

“You went from pretending to be gay to avoid dating me to putting a ring on my finger and drawing words in the sand for me. An interesting character arc for The Great J.T. Yorke,” Liberty commented with an amused smile.

“Well if it wasn’t for The Amazing Liberty Van Zandt, my character arc wouldn’t have been completed,” he pointed before leaning over and kissing her passionately against her lips.

As the sky got darker, and the moon started to rise, their kisses got deeper.


End file.
